More than 9,000 REALTORS from across the country, including hundreds of NYSAR members, gathered in the nation's capital last week for NAR's Mid-Year Meetings. The events included meetings with members of Congress and federal regulators to address real estate issues critical to the economic health of communities across the nation.

Click here to learn more.

Privately-owned housing starts in April were at a seasonally adjusted rate of 82,000 for the Northeast, down 12.8 percent from the March total of 94,000, according to data released by the U.S. Commerce Department.

Click here to learn more.

The National Association of REALTORS, in conjunction with the National Association of Home Builders, will be hosting a two-hour webinar focused on the significant revisions to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) under the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012. The revisions include changes in rate structures and resulting price increases, as well as changes in rates triggered by new or updated flood maps. The webinar will take place this Thursday, May 23, from 1-3 p.m. To register for the webinar, click here.

In an effort to quantify issues and problems that REALTORS are experiencing with the reforms to the NFIP, NAR has created a survey seeking your input. Please fill out this brief NFIP survey form and return it to Austin Perez, senior policy representative, Environmental Issues, at aperez@REALTORS.org.

Get the REALTOR Action Center mobile app today from the iTunes store. The interactive app will allow REALTORS to find out more about NAR's legislative priorities, respond to Calls for Action and invest in RPAC on the go! Click here for complete details.

New York State will use roughly $48.5 million of the $1.7 billion in recently approved federal community development block grant funds to pick up the non-federal share of property buyout costs incurred after tropical storms Irene and Lee. The non-federal share comprises 25 percent of the expense.

The state announced last week that roughly 1,143 homes in 19 counties have been processed under FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The program buys up properties that have a history of flood damage and which have sustained damage worth more than half the value of the property.

Today's NYSAR Radio show will discuss environmental issues. Tune in at 10 a.m. this morning on your PC or Mac by using the player on the NYSAR Radio page. You will need to be logged in to listen. If you have not yet created your account with the website, you will need to click on "New User" on the Member Login page and follow the prompts.

Click here for more information as well as a list of links to play NYSAR Radio from any of your mobile devices.

NYSAR's annual Lobby Day will be held Tuesday, June 11, 2013, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Albany. NYSAR will once again reimburse anyone wishing to participate in Lobby Day 50 percent of your total individual travel costs including gas, tolls, and/or a hotel room up to $75!

Click here to learn more.

Online registration is open for the 12^th Annual New York State Commercial Real Estate Conference being held June 3-5 at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY. The event is the largest commercial investment real estate conference in the Northeast and features a full-day, pre-conference CCIM negotiations session on June 3, a full-day marketing session on June 4, and a full day of education on June 5.

Online registration is available through May 31 by clicking here. For more information and to download a registration form, click here.

REALTOR Institute 402 - "Real Estate Legal Issues" - will be offered June 4-5 at the Dutchess County Association of REALTORS in Poughkeepsie, NY and June 6-7 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Lake Placid, NY. This course gives you a clear understanding of agency practice and policy issues, and teaches how to avoid misrepresentation, antitrust and fair housing violations.

Click here for more information or call 800-239-4432 to register for the free course.

REALTOR Institute 408 - "e-PRO Day One" - will be offered May 21 at the LIBOR REALTOR Service Center in Woodbury, NY and May 22 at the LIBOR REALTOR Service Center in Riverhead, NY. This new addition to the GRI program covers day one of the two-day e-PRO certification (day two is completed online - additional fee applies). In this program, you'll focus on the changing market, creating an online presence and managing your online reputation.

Click here for more information or to register.

NYSAR's compliance partner, PossibleNOW, makes do-not-call compliance easy. With DNCQuickcheck you can instantly verify phone numbers, access compliance training, generate reports for safe harbor defense assistance and much more. Individual accounts pay just $10/month (a 50-percent savings) or cover unlimited agents in one office for $100/month. To subscribe, visit www1.dncquickcheck.com or call 800.585.4888 and use member code SC1477NY.

Time Warner Cable recognizes the vital connection you provide to their potential customers and wants to reward you for your referrals. To get started, you first need permission from your broker to present clients with this opportunity. Then, register yourself and gain access to the online referral portal. Your clients will appreciate the time-saving concierge services and a free standard installation, while you earn award points that can be redeemed for thousands of exciting awards, such as electronics, travel awards and luxury gifts, or even donated to charity. You can even choose to use your points to make donations to either the NYSAR Housing Opportunities Foundation or New York State Real Estate Education Foundation (NYSREEF).

For more information or register as a referrer, visit www.twcablerealty.com/nysar.Click here to watch a brief video about the program.

The Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS, Greater Capital Association of REALTORS and Dutchess County Association of REALTORS are all hosting RPAC events in the coming weeks. Click here for more details.